Lieutenant governor says he'll resign over ethics caseLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Lt. Gov. Mark Darr said Friday he would leave office Feb. 1, giving in to pressure from Democrats and fellow Republicans who said his impeachment was inevitable over ethics violations tied to his campaign and office spending The state Ethics Commission last month had fined Darr, a Republican, for 11 separate violations, including making personal use of more than $30,000 of his campaign funds. The Office of Legislati...

Christie fires aide, apologizes for traffic jams TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Republican Gov. Chris Christie fired one of his top aides on Thursday and apologized repeatedly for his staff's "stupid" behavior, insisting during a nearly two-hour news conference that he had no idea anyone around him had engineered traffic jams as part of a political vendetta against a Democratic mayor. "I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," Christie said as he addressed the w...

Town considers stricter dog regulations HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE (AP) — Stricter regulations on dogs are under consideration in Hot Springs Village after a 75-year-old resident was killed by a bull mastiff while on her morning walk. A proposal before the Hot Springs Village Property Owners' Association Board of Directors would require a dog to be kept on a leash throughout the community except on the dog owner's personal property and in a dog park. Residents have asked for stricter polic...

Dardanelle approves condemnation of Rock Street houseDARDANELLE — The city of Dardanelle will proceed with condemnation of a Rock Street residence after the city council approved the action Monday night. Code Enforcement official Bill Smith told aldermen that while city code did not require him to seek council approval before condemning a structure, he didn't feel comfortable moving forward without it. "I do want your input on this sort of thing," he said. Smith said he sent a notice in October ...

Lt. governor could face impeachment LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Lt. Gov. Mark Darr refused Tuesday to resign over ethics violations tied to his campaign and office spending despite repeated calls from the state's top officials to quit, prompting a key member of his own party to declare Darr's impeachment by the state House "inevitable." Darr, a Republican, acknowledged to the Ethics Commission last week that he broke state ethics and campaign laws 11 times since 2010 and agreed ...

Legislators critical of UA deficit seek answers LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Legislators on Tuesday criticized how the University of Arkansas managed the budget of its fundraising division and said they're still not clear how it built a $4.2 million deficit. Two former executives at the Fayetteville campus testified that Chancellor David Gearhart created an oppressive atmosphere after the shortfall became known and tried to conceal budget information from the media and public, something Gearhart deni...

December revenue beats forecast LITTLE ROCK (AP) — An early deposit from securities fees collected by the state helped keep Arkansas' December revenue above what it was forecast to be and above the previous December's, state finance officials said Friday. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said that the state's net available revenue last month totaled $472.1 million, which was $15.6 million above December 2012's and $2.8 million above forecast. The state's...

AG approves minimum wage ballot proposal LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Wording for the ballot title of a proposal to raise Arkansas' minimum wage to $8.50 per hour by 2017 won approval from the state attorney general on Friday. The approval opens the way for the group Give Arkansas a Raise Now to start gathering the 62,507 verified signatures of registered voters it will need to place the item on the Nov. 4 ballot. "We're real excited about that," group chairman Stephen Copley said. The proposa...

State notifying insurance applicants of acceptance LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Health officials in Arkansas have begun notifying health insurance applicants of their acceptance into the private option coverage plan. The Department of Human Services says it began mailings on Friday to let people know they were approved for coverage. DHS says mailings to 9,295 eligible applicants were going out Friday and Monday. The acceptances were from people who applied through the federal government or its HealthCar...

Ethics leader: Darr didn't attend finance class LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The head of the Arkansas Ethics Commission says he does not believe the lieutenant governor ever attended a training session on the state's campaign finance laws. The panel this week reprimanded Lt. Gov. Mark Darr, who has agreed to pay $11,000 in fines over allegations that he misspent money from his campaign account. He has resisted calls to resign. Graham Sloan, the executive director of the ethics panel, said in a story ...

Nativity scene removed from Baxter County courthouse MOUNTAIN HOME (AP) — A Christmas nativity scene on display at the Baxter County Courthouse has been removed, but county officials said it was likely because of the end of the holiday season and not the looming threat of a lawsuit. Earlier this week, a Washington, D.C.-based legal center told Baxter County officials to remove a nativity scene from the courthouse lawn or face a lawsuit. The Appignani Humanist Legal Center said the nativity scene...

Lawmakers not pushing yet for Darr removal LITTLE ROC (AP) — Arkansas legislative leaders said Thursday it's too early to consider impeachment proceedings against Lt. Gov. Mark Darr, despite growing calls for the Republican official to step down after being cited for ethics violations over his campaign and office spending. Senate President Michael Lamoureux and House Speaker Davy Carter said they're not pushing yet to remove Darr from office, and they stopped short of joining those dem...

Woman facing manslaughter charge after dog attack HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE (AP) — A woman whose dog attacked and killed a 75-year-old woman in Arkansas has been charged with manslaughter. The Little Rock TV station KARK reports (http://bit.ly/1d2GLhQ) that a warrant has been issued for Brande Michelle Coy. Coy is wanted for manslaughter, unlawful dog attack and harboring a vicious animal. Another woman, Emily Ann Coy, is wanted for harboring a vicious animal. The Saline County Prosecuting Attorney...

Beebe focuses on budget as final year approaches LITTLE ROCK (AP) — With a limited legislative session focused primarily on the state's budget, Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe is approaching his final year in office with an agenda that includes boosting funding for the state's prison system and protecting the Medicaid expansion he signed into law. What it doesn't include is a focus on his political future. After a career that includes 20 years in the state Senate, four years as attorney general and...

Russellville asks judge to toss Williamson suitRussellville’s city attorney has filed a response to a lawsuit by a former mayor and requested the matter be dismissed. In a lawsuit filed Dec. 2, Tyrone Williamson named Circuit Clerk Fern Tucker, Tax Collector Rita Chandler, County Assessor Dana Baker, Pope County, the city of Russellville and former Commissioner of State Lands Mark Wilcox. The suit rises from problems with a property in Russellville at 410 S. Jonesboro Ave. that Williamson ...

Familiar faces, issues mark politics in 2013 LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Welcome to the new politics of Arkansas. It looks just like the old politics of Arkansas. Despite all the talk of the changed electoral landscape in Arkansas after recent GOP gains, there were plenty of familiar faces, themes and issues that highlighted the state's politics in 2013. • A two-term senator faced a frenzied and expensive re-election fight, fending off attacks from Republicans who tried to tie the lawmaker to Pre...

2013 marks a busy year for courts in Arkansas LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Challenges to portions of Arkansas' education system and the state's execution methods made their way through courts in 2013. A long-running desegregation lawsuit approached an apparent end after decades of state spending totaling more than $1 billion. Challenges to the state's gay-marriage ban bubbled up in state and federal court. And a group of death row inmates launched a fight over Arkansas' new lethal injection law. A ...

Pottsville to buy property near City HallPOTTSVILLE — The Pottsville City Council approved a resolution at its regular meeting Monday that will give Mayor Jerry Williams permission to enter into a contract and purchase the property adjacent to City Hall. The city agreed to purchase the property for $75,000. It will pay $35,000 immediately and the remaining balance when the current owner vacates the property, Williams said. The council also approved the 2014 budget and budget amendmen...

Johnson County deputy convicted of perjuryCLARKSVILLE (AP) — A Johnson County sheriff's deputy has been convicted of perjury for lying to a judge. Sgt. Glenda Morrison, 44, was found guilty Friday and sentenced to one year of probation, according to the Times Record. The felony conviction also means Morrison can no longer work in law enforcement. Morrison was convicted of lying to Circuit Judge William Pearson about comments she made to a jury as it prepared to deliberate the sentence...

Group drops effort to recall Texarkana directors TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) — A group called Miller County Patriots is dropping efforts to recall three members of the Texarkana, Ark., Board of Directors. Group vice president Dwayne Hall says the effort to recall Mike Jones, Londell Williams and Laney Harris is being dropped because the estimated $15,000 to $20,000 for an election would harm the city's budget. The Texarkana Gazette reported the city budget has $875,000 more in expenses than revenue...